Chapter 71 – Family Lunch and Grant's Stories
CLAIRE AND PHIL'S HOUSE – FAMILY LUNCH
The sun shone brightly in the Los Angeles sky when Grant parked his SUV in front of his Aunt Claire's house. He had already told his parents that he would be stopping by for lunch, and they, as always, loved the idea. After all, since he started working in private security, every family gathering was an opportunity to tell stories about his jobs.
When Grant entered the house, he was greeted by the delicious aroma of homemade food prepared by Claire and Gloria. Present were his parents, Mitchell and Cameron, his sister Lily, his aunt and uncle Claire and Phil, as well as Gloria, Jay, Hailey, Alex, and Luke.
— "Look who's here!" — Claire exclaimed when she saw Grant enter.
— "Our celebrity and billionaire bodyguard!" — Phil joked, getting up to greet him.
Grant smiled and greeted each family member, hugging his aunt and uncle and playfully ruffling Lily's hair, which made her grimace.
— "Ow, Grant! Stop!"
— "I already missed you," he said, laughing.
— "Of course, because now you only hang out with billionaires, you don't have time for your humble family," Mitchell said sarcastically, crossing his arms.
— "I warned you about the job," Grant replied, grabbing a soda from the refrigerator.
Hailey took out her cell phone and showed a video.
— "Yeah, but it's one thing for you to warn us, and another for us to see you next to Mark Zuckerberg on TV and social media! You were news all over the world again!"
Grant sighed and slumped onto the sofa.
— "I hoped it would be more discreet. But, apparently, anything I do now becomes news."
Gloria, who was sitting next to Jay, shook her head.
— "Because you're a very handsome bodyguard! Of course people are going to notice!" — "That, and the fact that you're a highly trained ex-military man protecting one of the most powerful men in the world." — Alex added, adjusting his glasses.
— "And speaking of which..." — Phil interrupted, picking up a platter of roasted meat and placing it on the table. "What's he like? Does he really seem like a live robot?"
The whole table laughed, and even Grant couldn't help but smile.
— "No, he's quite calm. A little serious, but polite. He definitely has a reserved demeanor, but he's an intelligent and focused guy."
Claire served food to Lily and Hailey while continuing the conversation.
— "And how was the job? Anything dangerous?"
Grant shrugged as he put rice and salad on his plate.
— "Aside from a crazy guy who tried to approach him at an event, it was pretty quiet. His security team is already very efficient, so my main function was to ensure there were no breaches during movements and public events."
— "And the crazy guy? What happened?" — Jay asked, raising an eyebrow.
Grant chewed a piece of meat before answering.
— "It was just an agitated guy with a cell phone in his hand. He seemed to want attention. I got in front of him, and the Meta security guards removed him without any problems."
— "Wow." — Luke said, impressed. "It must be cool to be surrounded by advanced technology and all that Meta stuff, right?"
— "Definitely." — Grant replied. "Their building is spectacular. It has state-of-the-art security, facial recognition, artificial intelligence monitoring everything. It's practically a mini-future within Los Angeles."
Mitchell smiled and shook his head.
— "Well, you've already worked with Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and now Mark Zuckerberg. Who's next? The President of the United States?"
Everyone laughed, and Grant just shrugged.
— "If they pay well, why not?"
Cameron pointed at him with his fork. — "I bet in less than a month you'll be protecting a member of the royal family."
— "Or Elon Musk," Luke suggested.
— "Wow, imagine if he had to protect Elon Musk!" Alex said, excitedly. "That guy is always getting involved in controversies and random challenges. I bet working with him would be 10 times more complicated."
Grant laughed and took a sip of juice before responding.
— "If I have to chase after a SpaceX rocket or stop him from doing something crazy, then I'll ask for a raise."
Everyone laughed, and the lively lunch continued.
After eating, they went to the living room. Claire turned on the TV, and, to no one's surprise, Grant was still being mentioned in the news.
On the screen, a reporter was saying:
— "Former elite military man and now private security guard, Grant Tucker-Pritchett, was seen protecting Mark Zuckerberg during his stay in Los Angeles. Grant, who has previously been seen protecting celebrities like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, seems to be becoming the most sought-after name for high-level security."
The video showed Grant next to Zuckerberg at an event, attentive to his surroundings.
— "Every day, you're becoming a legend, my son," Jay commented with a proud smile.
— "It's good that he's making a lot of money from it, though seems like it's going to be difficult to live a normal life again," Gloria said, crossing her arms.
Grant shrugged.
"I've already accepted that. At first, I wanted to keep everything more discreet, but now... whatever. As long as I can control what I share and maintain my personal safety, it's all good."
"Do you at least have time to rest?" Claire asked, concerned.
Grant smiled and stretched his arms.
"Now I do. I finished the work with Zuckerberg, so I'll have a few days off. Just training and staying in shape."
Mitchell sighed in relief.
"Great. So that means we can have our son around a little longer."
"Yes, but only until the next billionaire or pop star hires me."
Everyone laughed again, and the afternoon continued filled with lively conversations. Grant was happy to be able to share these moments with his family, knowing that, regardless of where his work took him, he would always have a home and people who supported him.
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